Thursday's letters to the editor

High standards

I have been, as they say in texting shorthand, ROFLMAO (rolling on the floor laughing my "behindular" off) ever since reading Gov. Rick Scott's response to tea party darling Trey Radel's arrest. With a perfectly straight face, Scott parroted the tea party line launched with John Boehner's statement: "We must hold elected officials to higher standards."

This comes from the former CEO of Columbia Healthcare who ripped off $300 million in Medicare money and took the Fifth 75 times while being questioned by the Feds about the scam. It certainly is to laugh.

Who held Scott to "higher" standards after he spent $70 million out of his own pocket to effectively buy Florida's governor's seat? The righteous conservative values tea partiers and the political lemmings who will vote for any name that has an "R" in front of it, that's who.

Sponsor jacket

J. F. George's letter "Poor argument," Nov. 25, was a very eloquent presentation of the writer's opinions. The closing paragraph reads "This is what happens when government takes over our free-market system and politicians dictate what Americans have always decided for themselves."

It should have read: "This is what happens when big corporations take over our government and politicians, and dictate what Americans have always believed they have decided for themselves."

My husband thinks our elected officials should wear jackets with their sponsoring corporations' logo patches all over them, similar to NASCAR drivers, so that we can easily determine which corporations we want to empower in the next election.

Follow the money, and you will find the pot of gold. Just decide which corporation's products and practices best align with your own ideals, and vote for their bought and paid-for candidate(s). Democrat, Republican, et.al., once political ideologies, are now just labels used to create divisiveness among us.

People are people. Follow the money.

Jo List, Fort Myers Beach

Testing for everyone

I am in total agreement with all politicians being tested randomly for drugs. I also feel that if they realized they had a drug or alcohol problem and advised their higher-ups of such, help could and would be offered. This is something that is done with numerous firefighting and police agencies as a contractual issue.

I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I also feel strongly that it should be mandatory for all individuals receiving any type of government assistance should be randomly tested. If tested positive for drugs not prescribed by a physician, government benefits should be discontinued. Sorry, people.

Due to severe spinal issues, I take two types of schedule II drugs to somewhat help with the pain.

By law, I must be randomly drug tested to ensure I am taking my medication and not selling it. This doesn't bother me at all. What is upsetting is that insurance will not cover any of the cost of the tests. It is all my responsibility to pay out of pocket.

Rich Wynn, Cape Coral

Tackle welfare abuse

I am amazed that The News-Press would put such an emphasis on who should be drug tested. I agree, but stopping here is irresponsible.

How about focusing on the most egregious abuses and require anyone receiving government assistance from my taxes have to take a drug test and pass it or receive no benefits? There would be a lot less drug use and the states would save a lot of hard earned tax dollars for other worthwhile investments in infrastructure and other necessary expenditures.

Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check? Most have to pass one to earn the money to pay the welfare checks.

Jim Masiello, Fort Myers

Character counts

While I am saddened to hear that our congressman has pleaded guilty to purchasing cocaine, I cannot say that I am surprised. There seems to be a general character flaw with Mr. Radel, which first began to become evident during his campaign.

First, there was his purloining of website names that could have been used by his opponents in order to create negative postings. Technically legal, but was it ethical?

Then there were the porn websites uncovered during the campaign, which he claimed he didn't know he owned.